Released: June 4, 2002

Songwriter: Nas Chucky Thompson

Producer: Ty Fyffe

{*speaking softly, gradually getting louder*}

Turn my headphones up, it's pure
Nuttin' gonna stop me now, Stillmatic
Tye Fyfe remix, you know?
(I'm here now, we here, it's your world)
Ill Will y'all

Yo, all I need is one mic, one beat, one stage
One person front, my face on the front page
Only if I had one love, one girl and one crib
One God to show me how to do things his son did
Pure, like a cup of virgin blood; mixed with
151, one sip'll probably make me flip
See my name in the hieroglyphs, like Osiris and Isis
Parables written inside papyruses
Ackowledge it, we been all tricked time to come out of it
Seeds watch us, grow up and try to follow us
Police watch us {*siren*} roll up and try knockin' us
One knee I ducked, could it be my time is up
But my luck, I got up, the cop (shot) again
Bus stop, glass bursts, a fiend drops his Heineken
Richochetin' between the spots that I'm hidin' in
Blackin' out as I duck back, forget gettin' hit! {*more sirens*}
This is my hood I'mma rep, to the death of it
'til everybody come home, little brothers is grown
Hoodrats, don't abortion your womb, we need more warriors soon
Sent from the star sun and the moon
In this life of police chases street sweepers and coppers
Stick-up kids with no conscience, leavin' victims with doctors
IF YOU REALLY THINK YOU READY TO FLY, WITH MIND POWER
THIS IS WHAT NAS IS 'BOUT, BROTHERS THE TIME IS NOW!

{*whispering again*}
Yo, all I need is one mic..
All I need is one mic.. that's all I need
All I need is one mic.. all I need
All I need is one mic.. yeah

{*gradually getting louder*}
All I need is one cup, one page, and one pen
One prayer - tell God forgive me for one sin
Matter fact maybe more than one
Look back at all the hatred against me, touch alla them
Jesus died at age 33, there's thirty-three (shots)
From twin (Glocks) there's sixteen a piece, that's thirty-two
Which means, one of my dunns was holdin 17
Twenty-seven hit your crew, six went into you
Everybody gotta die sometime; hope your funeral
Never get caught up, pain'll go through the innocent
Nothin' is fair, brothers roll up, (shootin') from wheelchairs
My heart is racin', tastin' revenge in the air
I let this all slide for too many years, too many times
Now I'm strapped with a couple of (macs), too many (nines)
If y'all people really wit me get busy load up the (semis)
Do more than just hold it explode the (clip) until you empty
There's nothin' in our way - they bust, we bust, they rush, we rush
(Lead) flyin', feel it? I feel it in my gut
THAT WE TAKE THESE DUDES TO WAR, LIE 'EM DOWN
CAUSE WE STRONGER NOW MY PEOPLES THE TIME IS NOW!!

{*whispering again*}
All I need is one mic.. that's all I need, that's all I need
All I need is one mic.. there's nuttin' else in the world
All I need is one mic.. that's all a (nigga) need to do his thing y'know
All I need is one mic..

{*starting loud this time, getting quieter*}
ALL I NEED IS ONE LIFE, ONE TRY, ONE BREATH I'm ONE MAN
WHAT I STAND FOR SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND
Or wanna see me on top, too egotistical
Talkin all that slick stuff, while my name is biblical
Wonder what my secrets is, enemies'll move on you
Only if they know, what your weakness is I have none
Too late I'm mad young I'm laughin' cause I'm a cool brother
Thought I wouldn't have that ass done? Fooled you brothers
What you call a infinite brawl, eternal souls clashin'
War gets deep, some beef is everlastin'
Complete with thick scars, brothers knifin' each other
Up in prison yards, drama, where does it start?
You know the block was ill as a youngster
Every night it was like a, (cop) would get killed body found in the dumpster
For real a hustler, purchased my Range, people throwin dirt on my name
Jealous cause fiends got they work and complain
Women left me cause they thought I was finished
Shoulda knew she wasn't true she came to me when her man caught a sentence
Diamonds are blindin', I never make the same mistakes
Movin' with a change of pace, lighter load, see now the king is straight
Swellin' my melon cause none of these brothers real
Heard they were, tellin' police, how can a kingpin squeal?
This is crazy, I'm on the right track I'm finally found
You need some soul searchin', the time is now

All I need is one mic.. yeah, yeah yeah yeah
All I need is one mic.. that's all I ever needed in this world, (fuck) cash
All I need is one mic.. (fuck) the cars, the jewelry
All I need is one mic.. to spread my voice to the whole world

Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, known to one and all as Nas, is one of hip-hop’s best-known, most mercurial, and lyrically blessed figures ever to touch the microphone. Since his heart-stopping debut turn on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque,” Nas has delivered countless beautifully structured, thought-provoking, keenly observed verses.

Growing up in Queens, NY, Nas never really performed in big crowds—he kept to himself. Nas used a different type of vernacular that others didn’t understand, which helped him to stand out from other rappers from his era.

With every ensuing album, Nas always reminds fans that he’s still the same Queensbridge MC who crafted one of the greatest albums of all time, and arguably the bible of Hip-Hop, Illmatic.